Boiling Point
by Ultra Rodimus
Summary: Betrayal on an alien world leads to catastrophe, for both the aliens and the Autobots. Will the new Autobot leader take the fall? R&R please!
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Since I have a little time on my hands right now I decided to get started with this. This fic is the second in this series, taking place between "Transformation" and "A New Life". Quite a few events mentioned later on in the series will be explained here, but this is mainly to explain the events surrounding Ultra Rodimus's first berserk outburst, first mentioned in "Burning Skies". I doubt this fic will mention where and how Ultra Rodimus got his signature snakeskins (that comes later in the series, between "Of Lightsabers and Autobots" and "Unexpected Encounters") but I will very likely be writing an interlude fic about that at some point in the future.

Right now this fic will have a mild rating, but it will be upped in later chapters; something tells me that the chapters dealing with the actual eruption will be very close to "Burning Skies" chapter 11 (the infamous death scene) in terms of nastiness and description. Please bear with me.

Disclaimer: Ultra Rodimus is a character of my own creation. That means he's mine. Everyone else (unless I specifically mention them as being my own creations) belongs to people with a hell of a lot more money than me.

**Boiling Point**

**Chapter 1: Asserting Authority**

Since the death of Rodimus Prime and his miraculous rebirth as the powerful Ultra Rodimus, things had not slowed down for the Autobots. The Decepticons were laying low, licking their wounds and trying to recover from the loss of one of their most effective warriors. Sixshot had fallen to Ultra Rodimus in single combat, and the Decepticons had slunk off to try and take stock of their resources for future attacks while working on ways to try and neutralize the Autobots' new leader. So far all of the suggested ideas had been both ridiculous and impossible.

The lack of combat had not meant that the Autobots were idle, however. In fact, they were busier than ever, evaluating and testing their reborn Prime. A small, lifeless planetoid with a minimal atmosphere, fairly close to Cybertron, had been outfitted as a training center, where Ultra Rodimus tested the abilities of his new body and his various alternate modes. A dozen or more assorted medics, scientists, and engineers were always in attendance, taking measurements, readings, and scans and combining them all in an attempt to figure out exactly how Ultra Rodimus functioned. He had systems that none of them had ever seen before, and they were eager to puzzle out their function.

One of the first things they'd discovered was the massive amounts of energon it took to fuel a bot of Ultra Rodimus's size. He used more energon in one day than four others did in a week. At the rate he burned energon their stockpiles would run out within a few months. Perceptor was already looking for a way to cut down his energon consumption without sacrificing his overall strength and firepower.

The new Autobot leader leaned on his massive battleaxe, his armor coated in a fine layer of dust that fell off whenever he moved, creating a constant dust cloud around him. His emerald eyes scanned over the shattered remains of what had once been a large, solid rock formation. Less than a half dozen blows had caused the base of the formation to crumble, which had in turn brought the whole thing down. Despite having been used to break boulders, there wasn't so much as a scratch on the weapon's razor-sharp blades.

Finally he turned toward the science crew. "Well?"

"I wouldn't want to be your enemy," someone quipped, tapping a key. "These readings are off the charts. Of course, that's probably because this system is at least as old as Kup is, but you're at least twice as strong as the average Transformer. I'd bet that you're a lot stronger than that, but this old system can only read so much."

"Then I'd say that it's time to get a new system," Ultra Rodimus replied with a laugh, resting his axe against his shoulder. "I think the prototype for Teletran 2 is still in the lab." His long silver braid slapped against his thigh as he turned and walked over to them, pausing to shake off the load of dust clinging to his armor. "So, what's next?"

"I'd suggest that we have you test-fire your distance weapons and take readings on them, but they drain too much power." Perceptor's fingers danced over his keyboard as he added more data to the model he was building.

"If I use them continually they drain my energy reserves," Ultra Rodimus corrected, subspacing his axe. "For quick, short bursts it shouldn't be too bad. Just make sure you get your readings the first time; I don't want to have to fire them more than once per weapon."

The team exchanged glances, then agreed. Ultra Rodimus stood back and waited patiently while they adjusted and recalibrated their scanning equipment, then walked back out onto the test range and began to cycle through his alternate modes, test-firing all of his long-distance weaponry using short, low-power bursts instead of firing at full power.

"We got it!" First Aid called to him. Ultra Rodimus transformed and trotted over to them, looking over their shoulders at the monitors as Perceptor entered the data into the simulation program. The machine whirred softly as it accepted the data and used the readings to extrapolate what the results of a full-power test would be.

Someone let out a low whistle as the final results came back.

I really wouldn't want to be in your way," one of the younger engineers muttered. "One shot can flatten a city and a mass broadside could take a serious chunk out of a moon!"

Ultra Rodimus frowned slightly. "Let's hope I never have to do that kind of damage."

The others nodded in agreement.

A moment later, Ultra Rodimus's comlink chirped for attention. He took a step back, letting the brainiacs get back to work, and answered. "Prime."

"Are you just about finished up there?" Ultra Magnus, his second-in-command, asked.

"As far as I know, we're done for the time being. What's up?"

"A group of underground fighters have resurfaced and are demanding to talk to the current Autobot commander. I think you should get back here."

"I'm on my way." Ultra Rodimus closed the connection and tapped First Aid on the shoulder. "I'm needed back on Cybertron. Do you guys need me for anything else?"

"We have already obtained all the data we require to assemble a model," Perceptor cut in.

First Aid sighed, shaking his head at the scientist, then turned back to his leader. "No, we've collected all the data we need for the moment. You can go."

"Excellent." Ultra Rodimus grinned at the medic and trotted out onto the makeshift runway, transforming to his jet mode. His engines began to hum with power, then ignited with a roar and a blast of flame. He taxied down the runway, gaining speed, until he launched himself into the thin air. Once he'd reached the upper atmosphere he transformed from jet to starfighter, wingtips leaving thin contrails as he broke atmosphere and hurtled out into space. Setting course for Cybertron, he opened up the throttle.

The flight from the training center to the Transformer homeworld was a short one, only taking a few minutes. As he descended through Cybertron's dark skies, he broadcast his identification code and was rewarded when the transparent dome protecting Iacon from aerial assaults opened just enough to let him slip through. He transformed in mid-air, touching down neatly and descending to the courtyard, where Magnus was waiting.

The red and blue Autobot turned toward him as he exited the city, walking toward them. A large hand waved at the group standing in the middle of the entrance plaza.

"These 'Bots just came up from one of the underground bases," Magnus explained by way of greeting. "Came in and demanded to talk to the bot in charge. They were very impatient."

"Did you get any names?"

"Yes. Topspin, Twin Twist, Warpath, Whirl, Sureshot, Camshaft, Overdrive, Downshift, and that's all I got so far."

"That will do for now." Ultra Rodimus walked forward to confront the new arrivals, unconsciously drawing an aura of authority around himself. "I am Ultra Rodimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. You came here to see me?"

The bot identified as Twin Twist looked him over and snorted his contempt. "A Prime? You? Ha!"

Ultra Rodimus's eyes narrowed. "Problem?"

Twin Twist sneered at him. "You're no warrior. One good hit and you're history. So why don't you scurry off somewhere and let _real _warriors take over?"

"I remember Twin Twist as being a bot not even Optimus Prime could control," Kup commented softly.

The young Prime grunted in response, looking Twin Twist over. Then a chill smile crossed his face. "You think I'm weak, do you? Then why don't you come and see if that's true?" His voice carried a distinctly mocking tone.

The older bot's face twisted into a snarl as the taunt hit home. Letting out a growl, he lunged.

Ultra Rodimus didn't move. Then his cold smile widened and he sprang at his opponent. The speed with which he moved drew awed murmurs from the watching Autobots.

Twin Twist threw himself forward, intending to body-slam the other Autobot and send him sprawling. But he misjudged his opponent. When they collided, it was Twin Twist who bounced back, his armor striking sparks where it impacted the larger bot's. Twisting in mid-air, the Jumpstarter landed on his side instead of flat on his back, scrambling to hisfeet and launching himself back at Ultra Rodimus, this time bringing his brute strength, which was usually more than enough to flatten any opponent, to bear. Ultra Rodimus mirrored him. Hands locked, they grappled, and to his surprise Twin Twist found himself being shoved back.

A red haze began to creep across Twin Twist's optics, the berserk rage that made him such a fearsome warrior rising to the fore. Baring his teeth in a soundless snarl, the Jumpstarter broke the hold and went for the taller bot's throat.

As fast as lightning, Ultra Rodimus caught his arm and used his grip to redirect Twin Twist's momentum, flipping him over and slamming him face-first into the ground. The blue and white bot hit hard, kicking out at Ultra Rodimus, hoping to strike his knee and damage the joint. Ultra Rodimus saw it coming and jumped to avoid it, landing hard with bot feet on Twin Twist's back. The impact caused Twin Twist's arms to buckle under him, smashing him back down hard enough to leave a bot-shaped imprint in the metal. Ultra Rodimus bent his legs to absorb the impact, then pushed off, shoving Twin Twist's shoulders and chest deeper into the ground. Landing neatly a few meters away, he looked back at the other bot.

Snarling, Twin Twist shoved himself out of the dent he'd left in the ground and lunged again, almost completely lost to the raging fury that filled his spark. Ultra Rodimus grinned coldly and pounced.

The newcomers watched in shock as Twin Twist, the most vicious of their number, the bot who had never been bested in battle, was beaten almost literally into the ground by the tall, fragile-looking bot introduced as the new Prime.. Twin Twist was fighting his hardest, but the bot called Ultra Rodimus was winning. There wasn't a mark on him while Twin Twist's armor was swiftly being bent seriously out of shape. Despite the punishment he was taking, he wasn't giving up.

Finally, Twin Twist's energy began to run low. He was tiring, something that had never happened to him before. He was able to fight a great deal longer than any of his comrades, and had never before been exhausted in a fight. The red haze cleared from his vision just in time for him to see Ultra Rodimus pull off a move that should have been impossible for a being whose skin was made of hard steel. Twin Twist took the full force of the hit and was thrown into the air, pinwheeling through four complete rotations before coming down hard on his back with enough force to temporarily scramble his systems. He was just starting to push himself back up when Ultra Rodimus's foot came down on his chest, the end on his jaw, slamming him back down and holding him pinned. Unable to turn his head, Twin Twist could only see the larger bot from the corner of his optic. He grabbed hold of Ultra Rodimus's leg, trying to push him off.

It was like trying to move a building. No matter how hard he shoved that limb remained immobile, holding him down with just enough pressure to pin him without causing any real damage. Yet from what he could see Ultra Rodimus was resting all his weight on his other leg, using only minimal force to subdue him. That gave him a sudden insight into how much power that deceptively slender body shape hid. He suddenly realized that if he had chosen, Ultra Rodimus could have terminated him with one blow. If Ultra Rodimus pressed down any harder he could crush the Jumpstarter's torso like an insect.

The young Prime looked down at him, hands on his hips. "Would you care to revise your opinion?" he purred.

Twin Twist let out an unintelligible noise, not letting go of the smoke-colored, striped limb keeping him firmly in place.

"What was that? I couldn't quite make it out."

Furious blue optics flashed. Twin Twist snarled out a phrase that made everyone in hearing distance suck in a shocked breath.

All traces of humor left Ultra Rodimus's expression, replaced by anger that anyone would dare say such a thing to him. His eyes narrowed, blazing with internal fire. The faint smile lurking on his lips became a snarl. Shifting his weight onto the pinned Autobot, he began to press down.

Metal creaked loudly as it began to compress, making the watchers flinch back. A groan of pain escaped Twin Twist. Stars began to explode behind his optics as the pressure increased. Circuits clawed out tortured messages, screaming through his pain receptors.

"I yield!" he gasped out.

The pressure eased somewhat. Ultra Rodimus eyed him, the finally lifted his foot from Twin Twist's chest. Magnus came forward to drag the barely-conscious Jumpstarter over to First Aid. The young Prime turned back to the group of newcomers.

"Anyone else care to test my abilities?" he challenged.

Most of them backed down cautiously, obviously recognizing exactly who was the alpha male of this pack. But three of the, just as clearly a well-coordinated team, pounced as one.

Even in three-on-one combat Ultra Rodimus was almost impossible to bring down. The fight was a whirling ball of metal, flying limbs, and the sounds of metal striking metal. As a group the trio were formidable.

The watchers rubbed their optics, finding it hard to concentrate on any one robot. They were moving too quickly. Resigning themselves to not being able to see the action, the watchers settled back to wait for it to end.

It was over fairly quickly.

The three Autobots ended up piled atop one another, stacked almost neatly with Ultra Rodimus sitting cross-legged atop the heap. The young Prime settled himself comfortably, resting his arms on his thighs. He didn't have so much as a hair out of place.

One of the bots he was seated upon groaned. Ultra Rodimus looked down at Downshift, the black and white bot. Downshift's limbs began to twitch as he began to regain consciousness.

"Ow..." was the pitiful whimper.

"Serves you right," Ultra Rodimus calmly informed him, poking Downshift in the back of the neck.

At the bottom of the pile, Camshaft stirred, trying to pull himself out from under the other two. His pushing and shoving and weak kicking woke Overdrive. A chorus of groans advertised their return to consciousness as fresh bruises, dents, and open wounds introduced themselves. Ultra Rodimus waited until they were awake enough to register exactly what was going on and begin to voice cries of indignation before rising to his feet and casually hopping off of the heap. A glance at the rest of the newcomers revealed no new challengers. He turned to face them.

"As I mentioned, I am the current Prime. That does mean that I am in command of this army. Understood?"

There was a subdued chorus of agreement.

"Good. Kup will assign you quarters, and you'll be expected to report to Repair Bay for status checks. After First Aid is finished with you, come to my office and state your business."

They nodded. He eyed them for a moment, then turned and headed back into the city. Magnus and Kup fell into step beside him.

"What did you do that for?" Kup asked. "Optimus would never..."

Ultra Rodimus stopped abruptly, catching the other two by surprise. He turned to face Kup, eyes glowing with anger. "I am not Optimus," he snapped. "His policies aren't my policies. I lead the way I see fit. Stop bringing Optimus's leadership style into the topic. I do not appreciate the comparison."

"Sorry." Kup ducked his head slightly.

"To answer your question, because I've seen Twin Twist's type before. They only respect those who are stronger than they are. I don't need a renegade in the ranks."

"So you established physical dominance over him." Magnus nodded. "Thus proving that you are the top authority around here and earning his obedience. You also demonstrated that you do not take slag from anyone and that you will not tolerate insubordination. It remains to be seen whether or not you've earned his respect."

"Right now obedience is all I require. I'll work on respect later. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

The pair dropped back, watching their leader enter the city. They exchanged glances, then walked back out to the entrance plaza and over to the new arrivals.

**Tbc...**

And there is chapter 1. I know there was a long delay, but the disk ate the original and I had to retype the whole chapter. At least this time I had a copy to work from. I know the big guy is a bit cold in this chapter, but remember, this fic is early in the series and he's still settling into his new role as leader of the Autobots. He'll thaw out as the story (and the series) progresses. Now send me reviews and tell me what you think of this so far. There won't be any more chapters until I get some reviews.


	2. Delays in Transit

Author's Note: I'm taking the opportunity to update now because I have some time on my hands and because there's nothing else for me to do. Thank you the readers for sending me all those nice reviews.

Disclaimer: Ultra Rodimus is my character. Everyone else belongs to really rich people.

**Boiling Point**

**Chapter 2: Delays in Transit**

Several weeks had passed since Ultra Rodimus had cemented his position as Autobot leader against those who had doubted him. The fight had already become something of a legend in the ranks. Twin Twist was behaving himself, but the young Prime still kept a wary eye on him. The other three, a team known as the Omnibots, had settled in as an elite scout team and made no more trouble.

Ultra Rodimus looked up from his terminal as his second-in-command, Ultra Magnus, entered his office and moved to stand in front of his leader's massive desk. Leaning back in his chair, Ultra Rodimus lifted an eyebrow in a silent signal.

"We just received a communication from a distant world, asking for an alliance," the older Autobot reported.

"Another one? At this rate we'll be busy with negotiations for the next year."

A small smile touched Magnus's features, but he said nothing. Ultra Rodimus thought for a long moment, then returned his gaze to the city commander.

"So, where is this planet, and what is it called?"

"As far as we can tell, the planet is quite some distance from here," was the reply. Magnus produced a star chart from subspace and spread it out on the desk, pointing out the location. "The name is almost impossible to pronounce. The natives are a vaguely humanoid race, more reptilian in origin but basically humanoid in general build. They stand about twenty to twenty-five feet in height, scaled skin, no tails, very short claws. Fairly technologically advanced, not far behind Earth."

"Hmm." The young leader leaned forward to scan the chart, noting the route they'd have to take. Between Cybertron and the alien world was a sector full of radiation storms and rogue space debris, leftovers from some planet collision and known to be hideouts for pirates. He said as much.

"Perceptor has designed radiation screens to filter out the worst of the background radiation, and no pirate in his right mind would want to mess with several shiploads of veteran warriors. The ships are equipped with lasers that can handle any asteroids or other debris we come across."

"What about these worlds?" Ultra Rodimus indicated a handful of dots representing worlds, all of which were in or near their flight path.

Magnus consulted his notes. "According to our databanks most of them are uninhabited, airless balls of radiation-scoured rock. A few gas giants, a couple planets with atmospheres, all too toxic to support life, and a couple that are habitable but have no sentient life. These ones here" he pointed them out "have indiginous sentient races but they are either too primitive to be contacted or currently absorbed in their own conflicts. We shouldn't have any problems."

Ultra Rodimus tapped a thoughtful finger against his chin. Magnus waited patiently for him to make up his mind. Finally, the younger bot looked up. "Assemble a team."

Magnus nodded and left. Ultra Rodimus picked up the chart, taking a long look at the display. Then he accessed his terminal and called up all the data he could find on that part of space.

A day later, three shuttles lifted off from Cybertron's dark surface.

It took several days' travel to reach the outskirts of the hazard zone. The radiation was so thick and the storms so unpredictable that any ship passing through had to do so at a much slower pace than they normally would. A line of warning buoys advised all ships to slow down and proceed with caution.

"Radiation screens working," Perceptor reported.

"Good." Ultra Rodimus settled into what was loosely referred to as the command chair, set at the rear of the bridge with its own console, from which he could monitor all incoming data. "Take us in."

Roughly an hour later they approached the first of the few inhabited planets. Perceptor started a surface scan as soon as they were in range, eager to add new data to their admittedly sketchy database. As the results of the first scans came back, the scientist frowned.

"Prime."

Ultra Rodimus turned to look at him. "Yes?"

"I think you should take a look at this."

The tall bot turned back to his own console and called up the results of Perceptor's scan. A frown appeared on his face as he looked over the readouts.

According to the scans the planet showed signs of a fairly advanced race, with cities large enough to be visible from space. From all appearances the natives had been somewhat more advanced than Earth, but had apparently lacked space flight. The sensors detected a large amount of technology on the planet's surface.

What made it disturbing was the lack of any life forms larger than medium-sized predators.

"Something's not right here." Ultra Rodimus touched a key, changing the display. "Where are all the people?"

"Pirates or slavers, perhaps?" Jazz suggested from the navigator's station.

Perceptor shook his head. "There are no exhaust trails anywhere near this planet. It has never been visited by any spacefaring race."

"I don't like this," Ultra Rodimus muttered.

"Think we should check it out?" Springer asked, turning in his seat.

After a moment of thought, Ultra Rodimus nodded.

The trio of shuttles moved into orbit around the planet. Two held position. Ultra Rodimus's shuttle descended to the surface, the crew watchful for any sign of trouble. They landed near a small settlement without incident.

Ultra Rodimus poked his head out of the shuttle and took a quick look around. The landscape looked somewhat similar to Earth, but there was a strange reddish tint to the sky and an unnerving absence of sound. No birds or animals called in the forests. Very little grass grew from the dry ground. The air smelled of smoke and dust. A shiver ran down the tall Autobot's spine.

"This place is giving me the creeps," Skydive muttered, glancing around nervously. Next to him, Silverbolt grunted agreement.

The team stepped cautiously off the shuttle's boarding ramp onto ground that cracked slightly beneath their feet. Perceptor crouched to take a soil sample. Ultra Rodimus glanced at him, then began walking toward the settlement. The rest of the team gathered into a tight clump, following in his wake. He slowed his long stride to let them keep up with him.

A worn road, clearly unused for years, led through what was left of a forest. The trees were bare, without a single leaf or bit of moss clinging to their branches and trunks. They were a pale grey or white in color, reminding Jazz of pictures he'd seen, pictures of Cuban trees stripped bare by hurricane winds. The trunks glowed, casting a pale light in the dim light. Nothing moved. The only sounds were the footsteps of the team as they picked their way along the path.

"I don't like this silence," someone said in a whisper. "Where are all the animals?"

Finally they emerged from the silent forest and stepped out onto a plain. There was very little vegetation of any kind. The ground looked like it had been seared bare a very long time ago, and the settlement didn't look too much better. The buildings were in ruins, very few still standing and those that were standing were in a state of collapse. Some showed faint scorch marks, signs that something terrible had taken place there. Nothing moved in the rubble. The wind moaned hollowly as it blew over the ruins.

Ultra Rodimus blinked as he adjusted his optical systems, scanning the ruined structures. He found nothing. "Wasn't there a city close by?"

Perceptor nodded.

"Perhaps there we'll find some indication as to what happened here."

The team returned to the shuttle and flew to where the city stood. Or rather, where it had stood. Most of it was in heaps of shattered stone and blackened wood, only a few buildings still standing. The group spread out, going in different directions, all of them trying to find out where all of the people had gone.

As before, nothing moved. Unlike before, this time they found bones, the remains of a four-armed race about twice as tall as a human. The bones lay scattered in the streets or were piled on each other inside the remains of buildings. Some were clearly the bones of older beings, but many were just as clearly the skeletons of the very young. In some places charred outlines and piles of ash were all that remained of the residents. The ground around the bones was scorched and seared, the walls blackened and burned. Anything that had been made out of any kind of organic material had been reduced to charcoal.

"Do you think they burned to death?" Sideswipe asked.

"I don't think so. This fire damage looks more structural to me." Ultra Rodimus examined the burn marks. "It looks to me like the fire started after the dying was over. Hey, First Aid, come over here."

The Protectobot medic trotted over. His gaze followed his Prime's pointing finger to where several skeletons lay, untouched, in the same place they had been when they had died. The bodies were twisted, limbs flailing out in all directions.

"What does that look like to you?" Ultra Rodimus rumbled softly.

"It looks like they died of some disease."

Perceptor had found the local equivalent of a database, one that was, against all odds, still functional. He set about downloading all he could from it, putting his translation programs to work. Ultra Rodimus glanced briefly in his direction, then turned away and wandered over to another building, one that was surprisingly intact. He skirted several skeletons, picking his way deeper into the structure, following some sixth sense that led him through several rooms and to a staircase leading down. The ceiling had collapsed, leaving plenty of space for his towering frame. He walked down the steps, finding a closed steel door at the bottom, locked and apparently untouched by whatever had leveled the rest of the city. After inspecting the door for a moment, Ultra Rodimus pulverized the lock and pushed it open.

Behind the door was a storage area, only the thinnest layer of dust covering the floor. It was clearly been sealed before the people started dying. To his surprise, the ceiling was easily high enough for him to stand upright without hitting his head on something. Curious, he stepped inside, pulling a handlight out of subspace. Most of the room was empty. Then he spotted something against the far wall and went to investigate.

The object was a roll of fabric, woven from the look of it. The colors were barely visible under the dust. Wanting a closer look, he blew off as much as the dust as possible, waiting for it to settle before looking again.

The fabric was a carpet, or would be by the standards of its makers, its design a geometric pattern done in reds, golds, greens, blues, purples, and silver. The edges bore a fringe of gold yarnlike material. The lower surface was slightly rough, but when he unrolled a portion of what was a fairly large rug by his standards he found that the upper surface was as soft as velvet. After a moment's thought, he decided to take it with him, put it in his subspace pocket, and turned to leave.

"Find anything?" he asked when he rejoined the others.

"I managed to learn a great deal," Perceptor responded, holding up his datapad. "The name of the species does not translate, but I believe I have larned of their fate."

"Let's hear it."

"Apparently a neighboring state declared war on them. After many years of stalemate, their enemies unleashed a bioweapon, but they underestimated its deadliness. It was carried on the winds until it covered the whole planet, killing off almost all life on the surface. Very few plant or animal species survived it."

"How long ago?"

"Roughly six thousand years ago."

"They destroyed themselves," Ultra Rodimus mused. Then he glanced at the darkening plains outside the city. "Let's get going. There's nothing we can do here."

The silent group returned to their ship and rejoined the other two shuttles. With one last look back at the silent, almost dead world, they pulled out of orbit and continued toward their destination.

**Tbc...**

I apologize if this chapter seems a bit odd. I wasn't planning for it to turn out like that, but the plot bunny seemed to have other ideas. Now, send me some revews and I'll see about the next chapter. Remember, no more chapters until I get some reviews. No flames, please. Flames will be used to slow-roast Unicron on a spit.


	3. More Delays

Author's Note: I apologize for the delay, but the plot bunny decided to take a walk and didn't come back. I sent Steeljaw after it, and he finally brought back a slightly chewed plot bunny. Now that I am (somewhat) over my writer's block, I can continue typing this story. Please don't bite my head off for taking so long.

Disclaimer: The character of Ultra Rodimus is my own creation, no one else's. The character of Shadow, who will be appearing either in this chapter or the next one, belongs to Shadow Dragon Goddess04, a fellow fanfic author who asked me if I could insert her character. Shadow is used with her permission.

**Boiling Point**

**Chapter 3: More delays**

Three days had passed since the Autobots had found the almost lifeless planet. They were heading deeper into the hazard zone, and the free-floating radiation was beginning to mess with their sensors. Communications were frequently plagued by static and occasionally lost altogether. Perceptor was doing what he could to minimize the radiation interference, but enough of it still got through to give the communications operators the Transformer equivalent of headaches.

"Argh!" Blaster leaned his elbows on the edge of his console, head in his hands.

"Again?" Ultra Rodimus asked, looking up from his own console.

"The static interference is getting worse," was the reply. "It makes my head hurt and my audio receivers are starting to fritz. I don't know how much more of this I can take."

The Autobot commander looked in Perceptor's direction. The scientist answered his unspoken question with a shrug, indicating that there was little he could do about it. Ultra Rodimus shot Blaster a sympathetic look. Blaster groaned and reluctantly resumed monitoring the comm frequencies.

Something on another console began to beep, followed a second later by a swear word from the engineering station. Turning in his chair, Ultra Rodimus looked over at Chromedome, who served as the engineer on board the shuttle. The technician was swearing under his breath as he began running diagnostics.

"Problem?" the young Prime asked.

"Other than the fact that this ship is a piece of scrap?" the frustrated Autobot shot back.

Ultra Rodimus let the comment slide, deciding not to reprimand Chromedome. He rose from his chair and walked over to look at Chromedome's monitors. The other bot glanced at him briefly.

"This engine hasn't had proper maintenance since you became Prime," was the disgusted growl. "She's crashing. Unless we get it fixed we'll end up dead in the water, so to speak."

"Do we have the parts to fix the engines?"

"Yes, we have them in the storage bays, but we need to land in order to begin the repairs. This can't be done in space."

Heaving a sigh, Ultra Rodimus turned toward the navigation console. "Heave."

"Yeah, boss?" A red-armored head popped up from the lower level of the command deck.

"Use those fancy sensors of yours and see if you can find a place where we can land for repairs."

"You got it, big guy." Heave dropped back out of sight as he got to work. Ultra Rodimus turned back to Chromedome.

"How long do we have before the engines fail completely?"

"A couple of hours, maybe more, maybe less."

"Got a planet on sensors!" Heave called out. "Only spacial body in the area that we can reach before the engines go _pfft. _It won't be a pleasant stop, though. Looks like the entire surface is covered in ice, so the temperatures are going to be quite low. Looks to me like there can be some pretty wild weather, too." He looked back at his commander. "What do you wanna do? Head for it, or see if we can find someplace else?"

"Our engines won't last long enough to find another landing site," Chromedome cut in.

Ultra Rodimus made a face. He hated the cold. But he knew they didn't have a choice. "Set course toward the planet. We need to get these repairs done or we won't be going anywhere. Blaster, let the other ships know what's going on. Have them follow us."

"Will do." Blaster began searching for an open frequency.

A dot appeared in the center of the forward viewscreen. Ultra Rodimus dropped into his chair and watched at the dot grew larger and larger, resolving itself into a white and pale blue disk. Even from a distance it looked frigid. Stretching his legs out in front of him, the young Autobot leader glowered at the image.

The pilot picked out a spot that looked most promising as a landing site and guided the ship toward it. The lights were beginning to flicker as they hit atmosphere, and some consoles went dark. Chromedome fought to keep the engines on-line as long as possible, barely succeeding. As soon as the ship was down, landing gear sinking slightly into the snow, the engines sputtered and died, and all of the other systems shut down. The command deck was plunged into darkness. After a few moments of heated swearing, bots fished out handlights and activated them, beams of white light spearing through the blackness.

"Okay, we're down. Now let's get this pile of nuts and bolts fixed so we can get out of here."

Someone manually opened the airlock. A blast of frigid air burst in, bringing a load of snow in with it, coating the floor in cold whiteness. Carrying loads of replacement parts and tools, the Autobots headed outside to begin the repair work. Ultra Rodimus followed, blinking to adjust his eyes to the glare of the distant sun on the snow.

It was colder than he'd thought it would be. His armor was resistant to the cold, but only to a degree. Its outer surface would cool enough for the temperature drop to register with his sensor net, enough to be uncomfortable but not nearly enough to be dangerous. He could withstand the extreme cold of space for months at a time, but that didn't mean he had to like it. The planet's surface was the coldest he'd ever encountered inside a planet's atmosphere, and the wind made it worse. His long braid whipped out behind him as the wind caught it. Narrowing his eyes against the flying snow, he walked over to where a metal-alloy "tarp" had been set up to keep the wind and snow out of the engines during the repair, hearing a faint roar over the wind as the other two shuttles set down.

"What's going on?" Magnus asked as he joined his commander.

"Engines went. Apparently they haven't been serviced in the last year or so, and they picked now to burn out on us. We had to land for repairs."

"Contact!" someone yelled out from the other side of the ship. Ultra Rodimus and Magnus hurried over to see what was going on.

Apparently the planet was inhabited. A tribe of natives had seen the ships descending through the atmosphere and had come to investigate. The natives were surprisingly similar to humans in general build, but were larger, standing about 25-30 feet tall, their skin almost white, with six fingers on each hand and a pair of horns like those of an antelope rising from their heads. Their large eyes were a pale yellow in color, the pupils horizontal slits. All of them wore shaggy furs, and they stared at the Autobots curiously.

Perceptor looked up as the Autobot leader and second-in-command joined him. Optics bright, the scientist turned to Ultra Rodimus. "They are an interesting race. I assume them to be nomadic, hunting animals for meat and hides. Their language is similar enough to others we've encountered to begin a translation."

One of the natives stepped forward, looking up at the tall robot and speaking in a strange, guttural language. Ultra Rodimus looked at Perceptor.

"He asks where we come from, and why we are here," Perceptor translated.

"Tell him we're from somewhere beyond the stars, and that we'll only be here long enough to get our ship fixed," Ultra Rodimus growled.

The scientist translated. The apparent leader of the tribe looked at Ultra Rodimus for a moment, noting his body language, then said something else.

"He wishes to know why you're in such a bad mood," Perceptor interpreted, then paused as the native added something else. "He asks if it is his fault."

"He doesn't like the cold," Magnus jumped in. "The weather is making him snappish; it isn't anybody's fault. Except, maybe, the bot who forgot to check this ship's engines."

"I'd hate to be that bot when we get home," someone muttered from behind, the wind carrying the words to their ears. Magnus snorted his agreement.

The native listened to the translation, thought for a moment, then turned and spoke to his tribe. After some shuffling they brought forward a thick white pelt, the furry hide of a massive beast. Magnus nodded and took it, wrapping it around Ultra Rodimus's shoulders. The younger bot held it close, using one fold as a hood to keep the snow out of his face. With the fur keeping the wind at bay and trapping his own body heat, he was much more comfortable and his temper eased considerably.

Seeing that, the native felt it was safe to ask another question. Perceptor listened, then translated.

"He asks how long we will be here."

"I'm not sure." Ultra Rodimus activated his internal comlink. "Chromedome, how long should the repairs take?"

"The system crash was more severe than I'd thought. We're going to have to do a pretty substantial overhaul in order to get this rig flying again."

"Can you give me an estimate?"

"Two days, maybe three."

Ultra Rodimus relayed that answer. The native leader considered that. He held a quick discussion with the other members of his tribe. The Autobots waited patiently for the discussion to finish. When the natives apparently reached a decision, the leader turned back to the tall robots and fired off a sentence in his strange language.

"He says that during our stay we shall be guests of his tribe," Perceptor relayed. "Their camp is nearby, only a few minutes' walk from here."

"Since that ship is going to be very cold until the engines are repaired, I think we should accept the invitation," Jazz commented, joining them.

"What are we going to do about energy? I don't think we can spare any energon for this stay, and you know how much Prime consumes."

"Brainstorm thinks he can rig a machine to use the wind to produce energy, like a human wind turbine. He's already working on building the thing. If he manages it, it should produce enough energon to last us for the duration of our stay, even taking into account Ultra Rodimus's high energy consumption."

"That sounds workable."

The native leader led them to where his tribe was camped. The camp itself was a group of tents made from animal skins, looking like a strange cross between an Inuit igloo and a circular tent from Mongolia. Snow was packed around the sides, providing extra insulation from the frigid wind. There were about 50 tents, indicating that it was a fair-sized tribe.

"This goes against all our rules of first contact," someone muttered.

Ultra Rodimus glanced back at the speaker. "I don't think so. It seems to me that these people have had at least some contact with offworlders before now."

"What makes you think that?"

"They're not afraid of us. Which is very different from how a people meeting a group of aliens for the first time should react. They should have been scared witless and running in the other direction. But they approached us. Taking into consideration the fact that most of us look quite dangerous, that is a very unusual reaction for a first contact situation. Which leads me to believe that other offworlders have been here before, often enough for the natives to become somewhat used to alien visitors."

The rest of the group thought that over. They couldn't fault his reasoning. Perceptor asked the tribe leader about it, then relayed the answer.

"He says that offworlders have been coming here to hunt for many generations. The animals of this planet, adapted to the frigid temperatures, yield pelts of great warmth, beauty, and softness. Every year there are several hunting parties arriving, and they use the native peoples as guides. At first they thought us another group of hunters, then they noticed that we are very unlike any of the hunters who have ever come here."

"We're not hunters. What use do we have for fur? Our world has no seasons. We don't even have a sun, and we can regulate our body temperatures to work in any climate."

Inside the largest tent, six Autobots settled around the fire, surveying the tent interior curiously. Pelts were provided for them to sit on. Ultra Rodimus admired the thick furs, noting the variety of colors they came in. Not just the white and grey he'd expected, but also in pale blue, brown, gold, silver, even a fine shade of pale purple. Nor were they one solid color. With a few exceptions, the pelts sported spots and stripes either in different shades of the base color or in a different color entirely.

One of the other natives present, a female, made a comment.

"She says that you find the furs fascinating, for someone who isn't a hunter."

"I find the colors interesting. I've never seen any animal with purple fur on any of the worlds I've been on."

"I have, but only in a very dark plum color," Kup put in.

A smaller native, a youngster, asked a timid question.

"He asks if the stories he's heard of creatures with dark and/or bright colors are true."

Ultra Rodimus grinned and pulled something from subspace.

It was a ten-legged insect about three human feet long and a foot and a half wide, its jointed legs and underbody all made of metal alloys. Its wing cases were of a crystalline material, almost translucent, a vivid peacock blue in color. Its faceted eyes were the typical ruby red of much of Cybertron's wildlife, the exception being the turbofoxes. The insect sported a set of razor-sharp mouthparts, which it used for breaking scraps of nutrient-rich metal into digestable morsels. All in all, it looked like an emerald beetle from Earth. It was a cyber-beetle, also called a jewel beetle because of its crystalline shell. They were Cybertron's equivalent of scavenger beetles, devouring what the cyber-wolves, turbofoxes, turbo-rats, cyber-crocs, rare mech birds, and other creatures missed. The beautiful shells, which came in every color imaginable (surprising some people to no end; they wondered how such a brightly colored creature, which produced light as a by-product during digestion and could glow pretty brightly, could be such an expert at hiding), were often used as jewelry, by Cybertronians and by alien races large enough to wear a three-foot-long beetle as a pin.

The beetle, its shell glittering in the firelight, crawled over Ultra Rodimus's hands, its legs producing a faint tick-tick-tick sound as tiny feet hit his armor. Every native in the tent crowded forward to get a better look at it, making amazed comments about its bright color.

"Where did that come from?" Magnus asked.

"I found it scurrying toward the energon stores the other day. Picked it up to keep it from getting into mischief." Ultra Rodimus watched the creature climb over his fingers and onto the back of his hand.

One native asked what the beetle ate.

"They feed on metal scraps and the same kind of energy we do, usually in its liquid form. After a battle hundreds of them can be found on the battleground, cleaning up what the bigger predators don't get." Ultra Rodimus returned the beetle to his subspace pocket.

Two days later, the repairs to the shuttle were almost finished. The six Autobots were preparing to leave the tribe's camp and return to their ship when a deep growl sent the natives into a panicked frenzy. Obeying an inner instinct, Ultra Rodimus began scanning for danger with his minor empathic abilities. His senses brushed across an animal mind, one intent on the kill.

The beast let out a roar and suddenly lunged.

No one saw it coming. The white beast erupted out of the snow, teeth bared, red eyes startlingly bright against its white fur. Before anyone could react it had a native in its jaws, two sets of teeth tearing him to pieces. Greenish blood sprayed across the snow.

Ultra Rodimus snapped out of his shock and pounced, coming up behind the creature and grabbing one of its two necks. Once he had a good hold on the thrashing beast, he twisted and yanked. Vertebrae cracked and popped audibly as its neck broke.

The creature went wild under him, the force of its convulsing shaking him loose and sending him head-over-tail into the snow. Its deep growl had become a screaming roar, making his ears ache from the volume and pitch. Seeking its tormentor, it turned and went after him, bloodstained jaws agape, one of its two heads dangling lifelessly. Mad with pain, it attacked in a blind rush. The Autobot leader, pulling himself out of the snow, reacted on automatic, delivering a hard right cross to its jaw, stunning it. Before it could get its head cleared and resume its attack, Ultra Rodimus brought both fists crashing down on its skull. Bone shattered with a wet _crack. _Blood pouring from its nose and mouth, it collapsed and lay still.

Pulling himself upright, Ultra Rodimus stepped closer to get a better look at the beast.

Its body was long and powerful. The basic shape echoed the build of an Earth crocodile, but with six legs straight under its body instead of sprawling out sideways. The tail was almost the same, thick and heavy, but without the scaly armor. Its clawed feet were more like those of a polar bear, thickly furred for traction and to prevent heat loss. Both necks were fairly long, the heads shaped more like that of a salamander. Sharp, curved teeth lined its jaws. Each head had four eyes, two on each side. There were no visible ears. Its dirty-white fur was long and stringy, like an old string mop.

Wary natives began to come out of hiding, exclaiming in astonishment when they saw the creature laying lifeless in the snow. Excited chatter broke out as they told those who were still hiding what had happened.

"They call it an ice dragon, and it had been plaguing the tribe for years," Perceptor translated. "It was a master of ambush, so good at hiding that they were unable to locate it and kill it. Almost half of their number were killed by this creature."

"Then I guess I did them a service." Ultra Rodimus stepped away from the carcass. The natives ignored him, swarming around the limp mass of fur. He watched for a moment, then joined the others and headed back to the shuttle.

"We're just finishing up," Chromedome reported as they arrived. "Just a few more parts to install, then we'll be ready to test the engines."

"Good."

Tools and parts were being loaded onto the shuttle when the natives appeared, a large group of them. They headed right for where Ultra Rodimus was standing near the ship's engines, watching as the hull plates were sealed. He looked up as they approached. The group stopped a few feet away, removing the bundles they carried and placing them at the Autobot leader's feet. The startled Autobot looked at the tribe leader. The native began to speak.

"These gifts are their way of thanking you for killing the dragon," Perceptor translated. "By doing so you saved dozens of lives."

Ultra Rodimus nodded graciously. Other Autobots picked up the bundles and carried them aboard. The natives gave their traditional farewell and retreated. The Autobots boarded the ship and prepared for departure.

"Engines hot!" Chromedome called from his console. "Repairs are holding!"

The young Prime crossed the command deck and took his seat. "Let's go."

The engines' faint rumble became a roar. The ship shuddered, then lifted off. The pilot pointed the nose skyward, and they were off.

**Tbc...**

And there's another chapter down. Sorry that Shadow didn't make her appearance this chapter. She will be showing up in the next one. Sorry it took so long to get this written and posted, but I had a severe case of writer's block to get through. Blame the block, not the author.

If you're wondering (and I know you probably are), the events of this chapter are referred to in chapter 10 of "Unexpected Encounters". I needed a bit of material for this story and that was what bit me. Now send me reviews and I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner.


	4. Arrival

Author's Note: My apologies for the delay, but I was once again stricken with that bane of all who write: writer's block. It took me this long to get (somewhat) past it and I'm not sure it's completely gone. So, again, my apologies.

Disclaimer: Ultra Rodimus and the planet he's visiting belong to me. Shadow, who makes her debut in this chapter, belongs to shadow goddess04. The rest of the Transformers belong to Hasbro.

**Boiling Point**

**Chapter 4: Arrival**

Ultra Magnus walked down the corridor toward the rear of the shuttle, looking for his commander. The larger bot had been a rare sight for the past two days, usually to be found working through some idea with First Aid and Perceptor. Magnus suspected that the project they were working on was what to do about the vast amounts of energy Ultra Rodimus's weaponry used up, but he wasn't going to pry. He probably wouldn't be able to understand half the explanation anyway.

Reaching the shuttle's small repair bay, Magnus poked his head in. First Aid looked up from his work.

"You missed him by a few minutes," the Protectobot medic told him. "Last I saw he was heading toward the storage bays."

"Thanks." Magnus withdrew.

The storage bays were further down the corridor. Magnus walked toward the bay where the gifts from the native people of the ice world had been placed. He had a suspicion that he would find his leader there.

Sure enough, Ultra Rodimus was there, sitting cross-legged in the middle of the floor, sorting through the piles. Bales of different-colored furs stood against the wall behind him, making him almost invisible. Only the bold red and blue stripe pattern of his armor gave away his position.

"How's it going?" Magnus asked conversationally, making the younger bot jump.

"Fine. I think I've almost got it all sorted out." Ultra Rodimus waved at the piles of pelts behind him. "What I'm going to do with them, though, I have no idea."

"You could decorate your quarters with them, like human hunters do," Magnus suggested.

Ultra Rodimus shot him an odd look. Magnus returned it with a calm stare. After a moment the younger bot sighed and shook his head.

"So, what brings you down here?" he asked, lifting a decorated spear out of another heap of items and admiring it. It had a shaft made from some very hard wood, so hard he wasn't sure if even he could break it, and the spearhead was made from an iridescent crystal that his scans told him was harder than diamond. A strip of plush white fur had been wrapped around the spearshaft just below the blade. Long, thin leather strips, decorated with crystalline beads and feathers clicked together as Ultra Rodimus turned the spear to get a better look at it. The final adornment was a thick, pure white tail attached to the shaft under the fur.

"Looking for you, actually. Heave says we're only a couple of hours away from our destination."

"Ah. Then it's time for the final briefing, I take it."

"Exactly."

The young Prime sighed and rose to his feet, placing the spear on top of a pile of pale blue furs. Then he followed his second-in-command to the briefing room.

"I take it Perceptor managed to dig up some more data on this planet and its people," he commented as he took his seat, resting his elbows on the table and scanning the other assembled Autobots.

"I did, yes," Perceptor confirmed, tapping the datapad on the table. "Quite a bit, especially about the culture of the natives."

"Do tell."

"Their culture is that of a warrior race, but they have not participated in any wars for centuries. They respect skill in combat, courage, and strength more than intellect, and their leaders are those who are the strongest."

"I doubt I'll have much of a problem getting them to respect me." Ultra Rodimus grinned slightly.

There were murmurs of agreement from the others. Perceptor glanced at them.

"The data files indicate that these people practice what they call 'aggressive diplomacy'."

"Which is...?" Springer asked.

"Negotiations with blades," Ultra Rodimus clarified, leaning back and folding his arms across his chest. "So formal equals armed, eh?"

"More or less. Also, according to their traditions all visiting rulers- which includes you, Ultra Rodimus- must be accompanied by an honor guard."

"I don't need a bodyguard."

"I am aware of that. It is their tradition and we must abide by it. A leader who has no guards is seen as weak and becomes a target. The one who kills a weak leader takes over his position."

Ultra Rodimus considered that. Then he growled assent.

"Several Autobots have already come forward to volunteer," Magnus added. "I've been going through their files to pick out the best of the pack. A few have already been chosen, and I've got about a dozen more files to look through."

"Fine, then." Ultra Rodimus nodded to him, then looked back at Perceptor. "What else do you have?"

The briefing lasted four hours. Afterward, Ultra Rodimus followed Magnus down to one of the armories to meet his bodyguards.

There were seven of them, or eleven if Blaster's four cassettes were included. Blaster greeted his commander with a nod. Broadside looked neutral. Crosshairs and Smokescreen watched Ultra Rodimus calmly.

The young Prime stopped in front of Sideswipe. "You're here without your brother?"

Sideswipe grinned. "Sunstreaker told me he'd rather be painted neon green and pink than serve as one of your bodyguards."

"He hasn't been brought to heel yet," Ultra Rodimus snorted.

The response was a shrug. "Well, you know 'Streaker. He doesn't respect anyone unless they can outmatch him at anything. He'll learn eventually. Hopefully before he runs afoul of you and gets the slag beat out of him."

"That might do him some good," the next bot in line commented, and Ultra Rodimus looked at him in surprise. "If Sunstreaker is anything like me, then he will only respect those who are stronger than he is. He may not learn to respect you until you establish your dominance like you did with me."

"He's already got 'Streaker beat at one thing," Jazz commented from where he stood off to one side.

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"Looks. He's a lot handsomer than Sunstreaker is."

Ultra Rodimus chuckled. "Thanks for the compliment." He shot Jazz a sidelong look. "Didn't know you felt that way."

Jazz floundered for words until Ultra Rodimus burst out laughing, then figured out he was being teased and couldn't help a chuckle. "Nice one. I'll get you for that."

"You're welcome to try," was the comment as Ultra Rodimus moved to the next bot in line. "You're probably the last bot I'd expect to volunteer for this, especially after the outcome of our last encounter."

Twin Twist shrugged. "I can't hate anyone who's that good. Besides, I've had it coming for a long time. This is the first time I've ever encountered someone who's worthy of my respect."

Feeling oddly touched by that admission, Ultra Rodimus nodded to him. Twin Twist smiled slightly and saluted. Then the young Prime turned toward the last bot in line and blinked in surprise.

The last bot was a femme, one of the few he'd ever seen. She was a little smaller than the males, but not by much, which meant that she was just over half his size. Jet wings spread out behind her shoulders, stamped with the red Autobot faction insignia. There were also visible signs of at least two other alternate modes, giving her four forms in total. In color, she was most black with red highlights, and her optics were yellow.

Ultra Rodimus looked her over, then glanced back at Magnus. The city commander tilted his head.

"Don't let her appearance fool you. Shadow is more than a match for most of us mechs."

The tall bot looked back at Shadow. She was glaring at him. "Really."

The femme bristled, jabbing him in the midsection with a stiff index finger. "Don't judge me by my looks or my gender, buster! You of all people should know that looks can be deceiving!"

Everyone stared at the incredible sight of their leader being told off by a female half his height. Ultra Rodimus blinked down at her, then threw back his head and roared with laughter. He ended up leaning against the nearest wall, laughing too hard to stand. When he finally got his breath back, he grinned over at Magnus. "Her I like."

Jazz stared at him, then glanced up at Magnus. "How come she can tell him off and get away with it, but when we try he swats us?"

Magnus shrugged. "Some female secret, I guess."

"Either that or he really likes her."

Ultra Rodimus raised both hands. "Oh, no. I don't think so. She's not my type."

"Is that so?" Jazz shot him a _look. _

"Yes, that's so. She's half my size, and, besides, she's the wrong gender. My interests run the other way."

Jazz could only stand there doing his best impression of a fish on land, unable to come up with a reply to that statement. Ultra Rodimus smirked, giving him a look that clearly said 'so there'. Then he turned his attention back to his bodyguards.

"Now let's get this party started." He activated his comm unit. "Heave, take us in."

**Tbc...**

And there's another chapter down. The next one might be a while in coming, though. I have an essay to write, and who knows what else to plow through. Please bear with me on this. Now send me reviews and I'll do my best to get the next chapter up soon.


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